The Splitting of Seth
by invisible-deity
Summary: The story behind Seth's subversive attempt to overthrow the System Lords, which led to him becoming an outcast and remaining on Earth. A hybrid of the happenings of the Stargate universe and the original Egyptian mythology.


This was influenced after watching the Seth episode of SG1 - I haven't watched much beyond that so I have no idea of any of the characters mentioned in this appear or return or whatever (don't spoil it for me just yet!).

Anyway Seth is one of my favourite gods in mythology, and I wish he'd had more involvement thus far in SG1. I wondered what his attempt to overthrow the System Lords all those centuries ago would have been like, and wanted to put some of the original mythological events into the mix. As a result this neat little fic came about. It's in three sections called _steles_, which are a reference to the original stone tablets discovered regarding the Biblical Seth. Different completely, I know, but it provides a nice little layout system (and in the SG universe, who's to say that the multitude of cults spinning off from the Biblical Seth were not connected to this guy?)

The Splitting of Seth.

* * *

><p>The First Stele. Apophis.<p>

* * *

><p>Apophis turns but he already he knows he has been too slow. The blast hits him and he falls. Down, down, the scales on his snake armour scrubbing off against cold stone walls, the sandalwood stench of the place making him sweat cold, sour, and the air is uninviting. He drags himself up. He has to be quick. He fumbles to switch his device on and manages to do it before Seth reaches him. Naquaada flows through his veins and the energy pulses outward. He doesn't bother suppressing a triumphant smirk as the deluded god is thrown backwards.<p>

He gets back up on the platform, taking the high ground again. There is time, just enough time for him to say in his deep gravelly voice;

'It is a shame Osiris isn't coming back.'

This stops Seth in his tracks. Good – again there is just enough time. He clicks the button and the familiar golden light springs up around him. Force field. Safe. For a while.

In his mind, thoughts are spinning out of control. He has been caught off-guard, his personal escort destroyed already by this raving Goa'uld. The faces of the other System Lords swim before him, and he curses them for not seeing Seth as a significant enough threat. Too mad and too strange, they say. But then most of them still consider the god too young. And most of them... most of them do not know about Osiris. But Seth was clever, unpredictably so. He was moving too fast. And like a fool, Apophis had not seen it until it was too late.

The next blow Seth sends is thunderous, and it is combined with a yell, all forces of thunder and chaos twisting and mouthing into hissing, angry words.

'What do you know about Osiris?'

Enjoying the temporary reprieve of his force field, Apophis smiles acidly.

'It doesn't get past me. On this planet, in this world, the underworld is my domain. The evidence you left in the river does not escape me. You killed your brother and chopped his body up into pieces.' He does not, of course, tell him about the body currently being revived in the sarcophagus at the centre of his temple.

As he expects, Seth gapes. A flurry of expressions cross the gaunt, darkened face.

'Are you upset?' he says finally. His voice is strained and proud all at once, although he tries to hide it.

'Oh, don't get me wrong, young one. I don't care. He was insufferable as Ra's protector and consulate. But what I will not let you do is destroy me just to get on Ra's good side.'

'You have no idea what I am doing,' Seth says. 'None of you do.' That curve of the eyebrow, that glint of the eye. He thinks he is so sure of himself. He is getting ready to retaliate, Apophis notes as he counts down the time left on his protective barrier. It has not been fully charged and will not shield him for much longer.

But at once Apophis knows he won't get the chance. He cocks his head to the side. There is movement, further down the corridor.

'Ra is coming. Don't be stupid, Seth, of course he knows.'

Seth's troubled face flinches visibly in the half-light.

The barrier switches off.

Seth lunges for him.

It is not an attack typical of a Goa'uld. No weapons but real, physical blows. Unrefined, coarse. Seth has been spending too much time learning the human ways of fighting, he thinks, a vile repulsion overcoming him. He feels the decorative helmet being lifted from his skull. This angers him more than he expects, and he kicks back, then delivers a vast, sustained energy blow at Seth with his kara kesh hand device.

No, more than an energy blow. An energy stream. A connection. In one horrific moment, he sees the true intent in Seth's mind.

Chaos/

Fragmented/

A mind filled with hallways and corridors of sharp edges and malcontent/

Seth screams in agony from the mental torture. Apophis, in surprise, does something similar and drops the energy stream between them. Shock and shuddering - painful sharpness invading his senses. Not as great as the pain he has just given Seth, but still more than enough. The backfiring, and the brief window into Seth's mind was not what he expected. As the disturbed creature cowers on the ground before him, he takes the opportunity to leave. He is too weak to destroy him, he needs the sarcophagus. And he does not want to stick around. The sounds in the corridor are coming closer.

'I will leave you to Ra now.'

He says no more. He walks off. He will not get caught out again.


End file.
